Pet Talk

    What a weekend!  I know that tomorrow we could have a raging blizzard but for all intents and purposes winter is over and the weekend was just a taste of what’s in store for us. Beautiful clear skies, warm temperatures, just a hint of a breeze, all a perfect setting for our rummage sale at the Congregational Church. 
    It was a fabulous day. I’ve never seen so many people come out. I overheard several commenting on it being a bit crowded and for that we apologize. If we had known there would be hundreds coming through the doors, we probably would have moved the tables out into the yard.  It certainly was nice enough to do that!
    A special thank you to our friend from Oakfield who brought a carload of beautiful curtains, foot stools, blankets, you name it, all wrapped, marked, and just like brand new. You should have seen the purses! Everything went, everything, and we really appreciate your generosity!
    As you know, our next fundraiser is going on right now! This week volunteers will be going around town and dropping off order forms for our annual box lunch project. This is another project that we really enjoy because every year a core group of helpers show up at the Congregational Church and help mix tuna and eggs, they help make sandwiches, help deliver, and of course, there are hundreds who bake for us.
    I just wanted to make sure to emphasize that we do need a lot of sweets. Don’t think for a minute that we had “plenty” last year so won’t need as many this year, because that’s not the case at all. We need 225 dozen cookies, brownies, sweetbreads and squares. I know what I’ll be doing all week!
    If you are familiar with our box lunch you know that we either fax or deliver order forms to businesses around town and then by this Friday our volunteers will pick them up so that by the weekend we’ll know exactly how many lunches we have to make. In any given year it’s been anywhere from 800 to 1,000.  We’ve ordered enough rolls for 900 lunches this year so we hope to be able to sell them all.
    On Wednesday, March 17, St Patrick’s Day, we hope the “Luck o’the Irish” will be smiling on us with good weather and a large delivery crew. Your lunches will be delivered to your work place by 11 a.m. so you can be sure to have it when it’s time to break for your mid-day meal.  
    If you are retired and want a lunch, not to worry, just call the shelter at 532-2862 and place your order.  You’ll have to pick it up, we don’t have enough volunteers to deliver all over town, but individual orders are always welcome!
    Lunches this year are $6 and include three finger-roll sandwiches (tuna, ham, and egg), three homemade sweets and a bag of chips. We used to include Jell-O, but found that most people didn’t eat it anyway and it was very expensive to buy. Also in your lunch this year will be a raffle ticket. You will have many chances to win some lovely prizes, such as gift certificates, t-shirts, and other items.
    All the proceeds from this event benefit the animals at the shelter and help us to care for them until they find new homes.
    And even though it sounds early, mark Sept. 11 on your calendar. Houlton Humane Society will be hosting the biggest and best event ever and you won’t want to miss it. Set aside that day to stay in town and join us, we are going to rock your world!